Simply Abundant Living http://winemaiden.com Homemaking tips for making life simpler and sweeter Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:50:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 en hourly 1 Farewell Summer http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/20/farewell-summer/ http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/20/farewell-summer/#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:50:39 +0000 Admin http://winemaiden.com/?p=997 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Farewell Summer", url: "http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/20/farewell-summer/" });]]>

How was your summer? Fast? Mine too. Sad about that? Yeah…me too…this was a pretty big summer for us as we welcomed our new baby girl about halfway through it.

Any big plans before it’s time to face the realities of Autumn? My kids have some big ideas…some of which I smile faintly and nod and others (those that involve gas-powered riding toys) strike fear in my heart.

I do want to send the summer out with a bang, though. I need something special and memorable that will help the kids ease from summer to fall.

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]]> http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/20/farewell-summer/feed/ 0 Pure Maple Syrup http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/20/pure-maple-syrup/ http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/20/pure-maple-syrup/#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:39:08 +0000 Admin http://winemaiden.com/?p=994 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Pure Maple Syrup", url: "http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/20/pure-maple-syrup/" });]]>

maple-syrup-largethumb2969457What is maple syrup and what do the grades mean?

What is Maple Syrup?

Maple syrup is made by reducing the sap from maple trees into a highly concentrated sugar suspended in water. At harvest, maple sap is a watery liquid–not thick and sticky like other saps. The sap is then boiled until most of the water evaporates. Impurities rise to the top during the boiling and are skimmed off. When the sugar content exceeds 67%, it is considered maple syrup.

The color and strength of flavor is dependent upon when the maple syrup was harvested and the growing conditions of the maple trees for that year. Lighter syrups are harvested earlier in the season.

Maple Syrup Grade

The USDA assigns grades to the maple syrup sold in the the U.S. These grades are Grade A Light Amber, Grade A Medium Amber, Grade A Dark Amber, and Grade B.

Storage

Maple syrup must be refrigerated for freshness (even unopened bottles). Freeze maple syrup to extend its life indefinitely. Refrigerated syrup in glass containers will maintain quality for a year. Syrup in plastic bottles can be refrigerated for three to four months.

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]]> http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/20/pure-maple-syrup/feed/ 0 Looking For Deals http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/10/looking-for-deals/ http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/10/looking-for-deals/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:31:18 +0000 Admin http://winemaiden.com/?p=992 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Looking For Deals", url: "http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/10/looking-for-deals/" });]]>

Have you ever explored some of the deals you can find if you buy through a liquidation outlet? Perhaps being a wholesale distributor could provide good deals not only for your family, but you could profit from them as well if you could find items to market. Especially online, selling can be lucrative and easy to achieve. My city has a liquidation distributor come and set up its wares in a parking lot every summer and it’s always interesting to visit and see what unusual deals you can find.

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]]> http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/10/looking-for-deals/feed/ 0 The Bare Minimum http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/10/the-bare-minimum/ http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/10/the-bare-minimum/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:24:53 +0000 Admin http://winemaiden.com/?p=990 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "The Bare Minimum", url: "http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/10/the-bare-minimum/" });]]>

We are in pare-down mode. With a newborn showing signs of colic and general unhappiness, my time is at a premium lately. All the same, there are some household tasks I won’t forego. For instance, I insist on clean toilets and sinks. No, we don’t have Hansgrohe faucets, but what we do have sparkles, thank you very much. What household tasks do you consider non-negotiable…you know…you do regardless of how swamped you are?

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]]> http://winemaiden.com/2010/08/10/the-bare-minimum/feed/ 0 School Clothes http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/30/school-clothes/ http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/30/school-clothes/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:29:39 +0000 Admin http://winemaiden.com/?p=988 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "School Clothes", url: "http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/30/school-clothes/" });]]>

Thinking school clothes yet? This year I may be forced to explore the possibility of big and tall clothing for my oldest son who is well over 6 feet tall. Hopefully I will find some deals because I can see this setting me back a bit. He’s got good taste, too, so I’m sure he’ll be choosing only the best of everything.

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]]> http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/30/school-clothes/feed/ 0 Drooling for Diamonds http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/30/drooling-for-diamonds/ http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/30/drooling-for-diamonds/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:19:36 +0000 Admin http://winemaiden.com/?p=986 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Drooling for Diamonds", url: "http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/30/drooling-for-diamonds/" });]]>

Diamonds…my birth stone…I’ve always felt fortunate to have these beautiful gems as my birth stone. Gives me all the more reason to collect diamond jewelry. Not that I’m looking at the moment, but certified diamonds are a lovely diversion to behold. Something pleasant to drool over when you have a moment. Make sure you know the value of your diamonds before you buy to ensure you do not lose money on your investment.

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]]> http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/30/drooling-for-diamonds/feed/ 0 August is Good For… http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/25/august-is-good-for/ http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/25/august-is-good-for/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:02:27 +0000 Admin http://winemaiden.com/?p=983 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "August is Good For…", url: "http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/25/august-is-good-for/" });]]>

Need some inspiration for good ways to use August? Since I have a bit of extra time on my hands that I am focusing on family right now, I have been thinking precisely about these things…here are a few ideas I came up with!

  1. Harvest your garden
  2. Read a book in a hammock
  3. Skim stones until you are an expert
  4. Climb a tree
  5. Picnic under same tree
  6. Go swimming–in a lake or pond
  7. Go fishing
  8. Take a long stroll
  9. Gather wild flowers
  10. Weave wild flowers into a crown or head band
  11. Go to a drive-in movie
  12. Lie on your back and watch the clouds
  13. Sit in the garage during a thunderstorm
  14. Stargaze on a clear night
  15. Go camping (even in the back yard)
  16. Go to a baseball game and cheer like crazy
  17. Plan a fall garden
  18. Plan meals using only your garden produce
  19. Jump on a trampoline
  20. Make lemonade
  21. Have a lemonade stand
  22. Swing high on a swing
  23. Get up early before the birds wake up and listen to them begin to sing
  24. Go to a farmer’s market
  25. Learn how to whistle a blade of grass

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]]> http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/25/august-is-good-for/feed/ 0 Summer Laze http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/21/summer-laze/ http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/21/summer-laze/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:17:54 +0000 Admin http://winemaiden.com/?p=981 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Summer Laze", url: "http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/21/summer-laze/" });]]>

I am thoroughly enjoying the beautiful excuse I have to be lazy this summer. Nothing like a brand new baby to slow you down and shift your priorities a bit. Not concerning myself with anything that does not directly impact my family at this point…no room for even wondering what extenze might be…nope…not even curious!

Seeing the summer through the eyes of my children is a blessing I’ve not had in years!

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]]> http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/21/summer-laze/feed/ 0 Sitting in a Quiet House http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/14/sitting-in-a-quiet-house/ http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/14/sitting-in-a-quiet-house/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:03:18 +0000 Admin http://winemaiden.com/?p=979 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Sitting in a Quiet House", url: "http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/14/sitting-in-a-quiet-house/" });]]>

The hustle and bustle has dissipated temporarily as everyone but the baby and I are at a ballgame. I look around me at the mess and disorder and then I look at my tiny newborn as she nurses in my arms. Suddenly the need to restore order pales to the awesome miracle I hold in my arms. The mess will wait. In fact, cleaning up messes is very similar to shoveling in a blizzard and equally as fruitless. I’m doing something far more important…so important that former cares about term life insurance quote…while all well and fine…will just have to wait.

The quiet helps me regain my focus and vision. A brand new beginning…and I get to not only watch it unfold, but I get the supreme privilege of molding and guiding it.

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]]> http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/14/sitting-in-a-quiet-house/feed/ 0 Rearranging Those Priorities http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/14/rearranging-those-priorities/ http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/14/rearranging-those-priorities/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:54:34 +0000 Admin http://winemaiden.com/?p=977 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Rearranging Those Priorities", url: "http://winemaiden.com/2010/07/14/rearranging-those-priorities/" });]]>

Yes…it took my tiny new daughter to help me relearn what is important. Right now, the most important thing to do is slow down and get her off to a good start. In the midst of all of the distractions, I must allow myself to focus mainly on her and me. She needs my breastmilk supply to be adequate and I need to slow down to accomplish this.

That means no worrying about nonessential things like the latest and best wrinkle creams out there. Time enough for that later.

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